The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Just barely scraping by

Man about town
I used to pride myself on having the
ability to multi task. I could deftly
juggle multiple office appointments,
social engagements, and all of the
obligations of life and not miss a beat.
In between I smugly felt superior as
I immediately answered e-mails via
my trusty hand held accessory. Yes,
I thought I had my act together. But
recently I came to the realization that
I wasn't the one who was organized.
Rather it was all of the folks around
me who were paid to make sure I was.

Advance attack
Rural life requires a bit of time
management. If one needs more
than routine medical treatment,
you must travel to Great Falls or
Billings. These mega medical
centers serve surrounding rural
communities. Hence scheduling
an appointment for anything but
emergencies takes months. Upon
returning to Lewistown I visited
my local physician for a referral
to a specialist. After securing an
appointment, I wrote it down.

Sorry, wrong number
Sadly, I had written down the wrong
date. However fortunately my partner
asked me to confirm said date. Upon
realizing my error, our entire calendar
exploded. Whenever we travel the one
hundred and twenty miles to Billings
we try to make the most of the trip as
possible. Therefore Frank had reserved
a room at a hotel and booked a table at
one of our favorite joints for dinner the
night before my appointment. All of
his kind preparation had to be changed
just because of me! What a mess...

Missing in action
It's times like these that I desperately
miss my right hand "TJ." We were
quite the team. A petite ball of fire,
she watched over me like a hungry
pit bull. 24/7 she organized every
aspect of my life including chatting
up the major domo Le Grenouille for
a table at eight. Rarely did she ever
say "NO" except when my request
was foolish. Better yet, half the time
she never even listened. Instead "TJ"
did what she knew was right and I'll
be damned if she wasn't always right!

All by myself
Now I'm like a man without a country.
Actually I'm a disorganized man who
is now living in the country. Without
"TJ's" support I'm lost. Sadly Frank
has refused to don her mantle and help
me navigate life. While he's willing to
provide an occasional reminder, he's
not willing and hence never will be the
man to manage my affairs. Part of me
never wants to have a calendar again.
My newfound freedom should mean
that I never have to do anything I don't
want to do ever again. Yeah... right!

Under cover
So, lesson learned and off the Billings
Clinic we will go - only one day later.
There my dermatologist will scrape off
multiple remnants of too many days in
the sun. We all want what we can't have
and this fair haired boy should have not
attempted to tan. Happily my diagnosis
of skin cancer is manageable. But most
important, I've scared myself enough
that I'll spend my days in the sun under
an umbrella go-forward. Next I have to
visit the the sleep clinic to explore why
I snore. Now, when is my appointment?